Big Jim McLain 1952

Big Jim McLain

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42%

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User Ratings: 245

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Big Jim McLain Photos

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Movie Info

Jim McLain (John Wayne) and his partner, Mal Baxter (James Arness), are investigators for the House Un-American Activities Committee, who are sent to Hawaii to find the leaders of a local Communist Party. They visit Dr. Gelster (Gayne Whitman), a psychiatrist who is treating one of the party members. While there, McLain charms the doctor's secretary, Nancy Vallon (Nancy Olson), and asks her out. As their hunt continues, McLain and Baxter become targets of Communist boss Sturak (Alan Napier).

Genre:

drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Edward Ludwig
Producer:

Robert Fellows
Writer:

James Edward Grant, Eric Taylor, Richard English
Release Date (Streaming):

Nov 27, 2013
Runtime:

1h 30m
Production Co:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Cast & Crew

John Wayne
Jim McLain

Nancy Olson
Nancy Vallon

James Arness
Mal Baxter

Alan Napier
Sturak

Veda Ann Borg
Madge

Gayne Whitman
Dr. Gelster

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Big Jim McLain

All Critics (2) | Rotten (2)

Pathetic anti-Communist propaganda film with a snarling John Wayne at his ugliest as a macho windbag special agent for HUAC.

July 28, 2008 | Rating: D | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
The name of Wayne's special agent for the HUAAC had the same initials as those of Senator Joseph McCarthy, which was not a coincidence, and Wayne himself believed that his popular propagandistic film helped McCarthy's reelection campaign.

May 27, 2006 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

View All Critic Reviews (2)

Audience Reviews for Big Jim McLain

Mar 12, 2010

Seeks to glorify the loathsome Joe McCarthy and his venal lot. Wayne was a well known ultra conservative so his presence here is no surprise but that this thing exists at all is a shame.

jay n Super Reviewer
Nov 12, 2008

<i>Big Jim McLain</i> features one of John Wayne's best walk-through; he looks a little sheepish, but he's so amiable you forget he's really not in character. The drama at hand is tidied up rather quickly, yet the film is directed with a steady hand and has an easy-going pace. The black-and-white cinematography is quite beautiful, with silvery shots of the tropics in all their '50s splendor.

Dean M Super Reviewer